is wrapping up of the business. this is live coverage on c-spa c-span2. >> what a timely reply. very timely. questions to the prime minister. mr. michael mccann. >> question number one, mr. speaker,. >> thank you, mr. speaker. before my engagement i'm sure the whole house will wish to join me in paying tribute to lance corporal jayme jonathan webb of the first battalion. he died in afghanistan on tuesday the 26th of march. he was described as an outstanding professional, bright, hugely engaging in college soldier. we must pay tribute to his service to our country. mr. speaker, this money i had meetings with miniscule

colleagues and others and in addition to my duties in the south i shall of further such meetings later today. >> the whole house will wish to associate themselves with the prime minister's tribute to lance corporal jayme webb and we pass on our deepest condolences to both his family and his friends. mr. speaker, even after -- [inaudible] will have brought 1700 pounds since the last general elections, knowing that hard-working families across our country are getting hurt, does the transfer or -- does the prime minister want to apologize for giving a tax cut -- [shouting] >> the people who should be apologizing is the party who created this mess in the first place. specifically on his point, we will be asking the richest intercountry today more in every area then he ever did in any

year of his parliament. that is the truth. >> my mother was there he said about the death of baroness thatcher but she was delighted that my right honorable friend was committed our party referendum on our relationship with the european union and. given that my mother will be 101 next thursday, she wanted the referendum could be brought forward? [laughter] >> can i first of all -- yes, yes. can i first of all semites fond regards to your mom and wish her a long and happy and healthy life lacks a reminder it should vote conservative in 2015 she will have that in our referendum that the country deserves. >> ed miliband. [shouting] >> mr. speaker, firstly kind of join the prime minister in paying tribute to lance corporal jayme jonathan webb of first

battalion? he showed the utmost courage and bravery on the thoughts of his -- people hearing today about patients in some cases more than 12 hours, we even heard of one hospital reaching a treatment train outside its area. what says the prime minister had to say? >> first of all this government believes in our nhs and is expanding funding in our nhs, and we will not take the advice of the party opposite of thought that increases in spending on the nhs were irresponsible. that is our view. we will go on investing in our images. we need to make sure that with a million extra patients, visiting every year, we need to make sure we continue to hit the important targets we have that people get treated probably. >> mr. speaker, the prime minister doesn't realize he is

singularly failing to meet the target himself. the number of people waiting more than four hours in a indie is nearly three times higher than when he came to office. and first he downgraded the target and that is not even hitting that. as he approaches his third anniversary as prime minister, he needs to explain why an amt crisis is happening on his watch. >> first of all let me give them the figures but for the whole of last year we met the target for a and e. a tended. that is the fact that if you take the number of occasions on which it was breached, 15 times in the last year, that is lower than the 23 times it was breached when he was in power in 2008. those are the facts. the other point i would make to him is there is one part of the country where labour have been in charge of the nhs for the last three years. that is wales where they haven't had a a&e target since 2000.

>> mr. speaker, let me give -- [shouting] let me give him the figures. in 2009-10, 340,000 people waited longer than four hours in a&e. last year it was 888,000 people. if he wants to talk about records, this government left office with the highest patient satisfaction than ever before in the nhs, the lowest waiting list, and more doctors and nurses than ever before in the nhs. now, part of the problem is that his replacement for the nhs direct is in total chaos. he's now got a patchwork fragmented service where over easter 40% of calls were abandoned because they were not answered. what's he going to do about this? >> if anyone wants to remember of labour's record in nhs they've only got to repeat -- they've only got to read the

report into the stafford hospital. [shouting] he mentioned, he mentioned, he mentions the fact that he mentions the number of people waiting a long time for nhs operations. that number has come down since this government can office. the fact is which you cannot ignore is since this government came to office there are 1 million more people walking into a&e. there are half a million more people having inpatient treatment, and the fact is that waiting times are stable or down, waiting lists are down, the nhs is performed better under this government than it ever did under labour. >> let me just say that what happened at stafford was terrible, and both of us talked about that on the day. but mr. speaker, trying to what a disgraceful slur on the estimation of the nhs that took place in 1997 and the doctors

and nurses that made that happen. now, the main reason, the main reason why he is failing to meet his a&e target is because he decided to take 3 billion pounds away from the frontline in a top down reorganization that nobody wanted and nobody voted for. and as a result there are four and a half thousand fewer nurses than when he came to power. can he now explained how his helping care in nhs to give -- >> first of all he is clearly in complete denial about what happened to the nhs under labour. let me just remind them what his spending plans are. his health secretary was asked, does he stand by his comments that it's irresponsible to increase nhs spending? the gentleman said yes, i do. that is labour's official policy is to cut spending on the nhs. just like they're cutting spending on the nhs in wales,

where waiting times are up, waiting lists are down, waiting lists are up and called economist now, too. that is what's happening in nhs under labour. he also mentions what we've done in terms of reorganization. that is going to see for an half billion pounds extra put into the frontline compared with the cuts from labour. >> mr. speaker, let me just say to him, he's the guy that cut nhs penny when he came to office and was hauled off by the head of uk -- [shouting] a&e is the barometer of the nhs and this prime minister might be totally out of touch but not barometer is telling us it is a system in distress. according to the commission, one in 10 hospitals do not have adequate staffing level and during the winter, mr. speaker, every hospital was at some point operating beyond the recommended safe level of the bed occupancy.

hospitals -- he's the prime minister. what's he going to do about this? >> his edges to cut nhs spending where we are investing. but let me give him, let me give them some simple fact about what has happened to the nhs under this government. 6000 more doctors under this government. 7000 fewer managers under this government. 1 million more treated in a&e, half a million more day cases, commonplace under labour virtually abolished under this government. inspection rates in our nhs at record low levels but as i said, waiting times for inpatient doubt, waiting times for outpatients stable. all of this happening under this coalition government, a far better record than he could boast. >> mr. speaker, people up and down the country will have heard, this is a prime minister with no answer for the crisis in our nhs to any services across the country. there with the crisis in a&e and

it's no surprise he is cut a number of nurses come his nhs helpline is in crisis and he is wasting billions of pounds on a top down reorganization that he promised wouldn't happen. the facts speak for themselves. the nhs is not safe in his hands. [shouting] >> let us examine the nhs in labour's hands in wales. here are the figures but nhs budget isn't being increased? it is being cut by 8% by labour. last time the urgent tactic of tables met in wales, 2008. last time a a&e targets were met, 2009. the welsh ambulance service has missed its callout target for the last 10 months, and, of course, there is no cancer drug fun. that is what you get under labour. longer waiting lists and all the problems we saw at the stafford hospital will repeated over again. [shouting] >> thank you, mr. speaker.

yesterday biggest show this government has reduced the deficit by a third. does the prime minister agree -- [inaudible] would risk of squandering this program? >> my honorable friend is absent the right. these are very tough times that we are operating in but we have got the deficit down by a third. to our 1.25 million extra private sector jobs and we've seen a record creation of new businesses in our country. the differences between the two parties is we believe in cutting our deficit. it is their official policy to put it up. if they did that it would be higher interest rates, more businesses going bust, harder times for homeowners. that is what labour offers. >> the government is right to prioritize the combating of sexual violence and conflicts under its chairmanship of the g8 but the prime minister would have more credibility on the subject if he didn't accept hundreds of thousands of pounds and private dinners at downing

street for mr. dean taylor. mr. taylor's company has admitted dealings with a notorious serb war criminal who is indicted for and i quote willfully causing great suffering, cruelty but, murder, willful killing, rape, and other inhuman acts. will the prime minister stop posting mr. taylor at downing street and give the money back? >> first of all let me thank the honorable john up about what he says, very terminal efforts to make sure that rape and sexual funds are no longer used as weapons of war and conflict. the government is putting a huge impetus behind this in terms of the g8. i have to say i think so we regret what he tries to play some sort of political guard in the rest of what he said. >> does the prime minister agree with me that helping people who want to work hard is the right thing to do? making work pay is the right

thing to do and not insulting them as some politicians have done it by calling them trash? >> i think my honorable friend is right. it is this government that is on the side of hard-working families. we kept interest rates low. we frozen the council tax. with that income tax for 24 million people. we've taken more than 2 million people out of income tax altogether, and our welfare reform sadly not supported by the party opposite are making sure that work always pays. >> thank you, mr. speaker. today the telegraph reports that 1 million people have been declared -- does this include people like my constituent, michael moore, who despite his disability was declared fit for work in july 2011? mr. speaker, michael died in february this year at age 56. >> i'm very sorry i'm enough of the whole house about the loss of her constituent.

but i'm sure that she and, indeed, i would've that everyone in this house would except that it is necessary to have a system to check who is available for work and who is able to work and who is not. and the whole point of the employment and support allowance program is that we judge those people who can work but need extra help, and those who can't work who should always be looked after. i find it extraordinary that hands are shaking in the party opposite. i thought it was the labour party not the welfare party. >> it is essential that this government continues much-needed welfare reform because coupled with the term is increase in private sector jobs at one and a quarter million, it's having a real effect with on the point of falling to 7.4 -- urged the prime minister to stay on this track and to make the difficult decisions when he has to for the good of this country and not to listen to voices opposite of what you have one thing to suggest which is to borrow,

borrow, borrow? >> i think a honorable friend is right. the fact is since the election the number of people on out of work benefits has fallen by 270,000. it's absolute essential to continue with berg is to boost enterprise, but also to make work pay and we shouldn't listen to the party opposite on issues like to benefit cap which the shadow chancellor was on the radio last week saying that 26,000 pounds was an unfair care. i think people right across this country will be incredulous that that is the labour position, but it is. >> [inaudible] executive boardroom pay, tax cuts for millionaires, tax cuts for wealthy corporations, and ordinary members of the public have got to pay for it. when is the prime minister going to represent all of the people in the country and not just these privileged blokes? >> i tell you what this

government has done is taken to million of the lowest paying people out of income tax altogether. a tax cut for 24 million people, it has frozen the fuel duty, it is freezing the council tax up and down the country and the people want to make an impact they should vote conservative on may the second to make sure they keep their council tax down. >> can i congratulate the prime minister on his support for the exhibition on modern slavery? 200 years after, modern slavery still continues throughout the united kingdom. it's about the buying and selling a people and it's the second most lucrative crime and/or. can he confirm his government will continue to engage this issue? >> i'm very grateful for what my right honorable friend says. this is an immensely series issue and i pay tribute to the all party group in the house of commons and house of lords and also pay tribute to anthony

steen who has campaigned long and hard on this issue. anyone who thinks that slavery was effectively abolished in 1807 has got another think coming and i would urge members if they haven't seen this excellent exhibition in that chamber, and house of commons, to go and see it and you see all of the different ways that people can be trapped into slavery. and it is notable this is not just people are being trafficked from eastern europe or elsewhere, there are examples of slavery of british citizens in this country being put into place of forced labour. it's an excellent exhibition and there's more for the government to do. >> i wonder if the prime minister would be kind enough to tell the house how much he would benefit personally from the scrapping of the 57 -- spent as i said before i will pay every appropriate tax, but like everybody else, like everybody else, every single taxpayer in this country benefiting from the rise in the personal allowance that we put in place. everyone can benefit from a

freeze in the council tax but everyone can benefit from what we've done on fuel duty and everyone would pay the price of another labour government. >> the government's cap on benefits has already incentivized 8000 people back into work. doesn't this demonstrate how important welfare reform is, getting people back to work, making work pay, policy opposed by the party opposite? >> i think my honorable friend is absolutely right. the measures on welfare reform we are taking like the benefit cap them like the 1% increase, making sure people are f. able to work, making sure that you can't get jobseeker's allowance unless you take proper steps to find a job, all of these are about fairness in the country and making work pay. and what is interesting about all of them come even the proposals to stopping housing benefit sometimes up to 100,000 pounds to a single family, every single one of those welfare changes has one

thing in common. they have been opposed by the party opposite. >> on the subject of jobs, last week 21 tory mep's voted against the eu mission trading scheme meaning that british industry will face much higher energy prices than their european competitors threatening jobs and investment. when will the prime minister get a grip of his party and stand up for british business? >> i thought the honorable gentleman might start by thanking the chancellor for the move taken in the budget to help very important businesses in his constituency with excessive energy costs, but clearly human kindness is running a bit thinly with the honorable gentleman. and i have to say, if we're going to get into elections about any piece, perhaps he could get his to stop voting against the british rebate. [shouting] >> the prime minister will be a weirword that last week three pe

were arrested for apparently blowing the whistle in the public interest over the actions of the police commissioner. would he agree with me this is a threat to freedom of speech, not rich in a democratic society? and it will be intervened to make sure there's an independent investigation? >> i will look carefully at this case. in general we should support whistleblowers and what they do to help improve the british and the public services but i'll have a look and get back to him. >> thank you, mr. speaker their the willful neglect of residents in their care homes is a crime. too often the victims and the victims families don't get any justice. time and time again we have seen injury, and sometimes we've seen death. will we have a law for this? >> first of all i think the honorable gentleman is right to raise this issue. we've seen over the last few

years some frankly shocking examples of not just malpractice but let's be frank, crime taking place in our care homes and our number of investigations under way. i think one of the most important things we can do is make sure the care quality commission is up to the task of investigating these homes properly and has really robust structures in place. that wasn't what we found when they got in big in terms of making sure the criminal law is available, it is already available and when you are bad examples the police and the prosecuting authorities can intervene and they should do so. >> sixty-two people have died in a highly toxic habitat and for use at these available online alongside other slimming products. [inaudible] >> like many people this morning i read the tragic case of the

girl who died from taking this substance. one can only think of the heartache her family and other families go through when things like this happen. i will very carefully look at what the honorable lady says. this isn't an easy issue because of course the substance is banned as a slimming drug but as i understand it, it is legal as a herbicide that's where to look carefully as she says across government about what more we can do to warn people about these things. >> thank you, mr. speaker. was the prime minister consulted on the decision to reject the appointment of baroness thompson to the chair of sport england's? >> these decisions are quite rightly made by the sector estate for media and sport and i think she's reached a very good decision. >> the armed forces cabinet, the armed forces covenant is something members of the side of the house are immensely proud of this government. the prime minister will also be

aware of the community covenant launched by the british legion so as 300 local authorities have signed up to. sadly, not mine, nor another 132. would be prime minister join me in urging these councils to signed this covenant locally and help support work across the constituency, and the particular before armed forces day? >> i'm very grateful to my honorable friend for raising this issue. my local authority was one of the first to sign up to the community covenant with all the responsibilities we feel we have for those stationed around our area, the biggest airbase in the country i would urge all local authorities to look at this but i think the armed forces covenant is a real breakthrough for our country that into what we can all show respect for what our armed forces and their families do. i would also commend the fact that this government is using the libel fines to help fund some really powerful elements of the armed forces covenant.

so for those people give the badly in our economy, -- on. >> thank you, mr. speaker. can the prime minister explained -- [inaudible] >> i hate to break the honorable lady but the pilots are going ahead starting in a northwest of england and i think it's very important that we do have proper pilots and property valuation of pilots. we want to learn the lesson of some of the failures of the tax credit system brought in in a big bang and ending up with big disaster. so we are piloting but as the sector estate from this program is on target and on budget. >> council taxpayers and exits pay 5000 pounds -- [inaudible] this is one of hundreds of transactions using canceled

credit cards totaling a half a million pounds an average of more than 1000 pounds a week including 60 -- does the prime minister agree that such extravagant misuse of public money should be the subject of an independent inquiry? >> it's important all these issues are probably looking to but i'm sorry to disappoint my honorable friend. freakily we are in agreement on this issue i think if people in s-61 good value for money is important that back the conservatives. [laughter] >> thank you, mr. speaker. the prime minister thinks the food banks are a good example of good society. last year, 7400 people across -- including 2600 children just to stop the starting. from this week, from this week due to his welfare changes, the food banks have been forced to restrict food only to families with children under mr. people

over age is 65 it is in it to prime minister's failed briton andy society is over when? >> i'm so disappointed in what the honorable gentleman says, because it was the last government in 2003 that gave to the trust really the organization beyond britain's food bank, gave him a golden jubilee award for voluntary service. and this is what, and i'm glad to see he is in his place to the right of a member for sheffield brightside, he said this committee said it was an outstanding volunteer activity that has improve the quality of life and opportunity for others in the community. looked, of course these are difficult times, and, of course, food bank use went up 10 times under labour but i think we should praise the people that play a role in our society rather than smear at them. >> the chief executive is to lead the authorities within a great package. the package i believe will be

substantial and run into hundreds of thousands of pounds but with the prime minister agree that this and similar arrangements are difficult for the public to accept under certain not good use of taxpayers money? >> i would agree with what my honorable friend says. we do not require councils to publish their pay policies and counsel should all be voting on these deals so they can vote against excessive deals. that's something that is change under this government but i would urge all councils on whatever political persuasion deliver what they can do to share chief executive, to share financial directors, to combine their back office costs. everybody knows that whoever was in good right now, public spending reductions would have to be made. let's make him by taking it out of the back office rather than the front line. >> mr. speaker, is the prime minister aware that the scottish call -- last weekend and 600 hard-working people in scotland lost their jobs? majority in my constituency. thank you the tories --

[inaudible] will he stand behind -- >> i'm very happy to look at what she says and we want to support all our industries in britain, including the coal industry was in scotland or in in the. in scotland since the election a number of people in work has gone up but we need to see that go further and faster. i'm very happy to look at a particular industry of, industrial example she gives. >> on monday my right honorable friend came to my constituency to support us for the next election. but at the same time, he visited, at the same time he visited a manufacturing company. does not agree with me that ticket manufacturing companies to continue to export and expand the export, especially the ones in my constituency, is our best way out of recession and?

>> i think my honorable friend is also the ride took the furniture manufacture that i went to visit has seen its sales increased by almost 20% over the last year. it is going into new export market. it's investing in apprenticeship it is doing all the things this government is backing and supporting them and we want to back many more firms doing exactly that. but her other point is right to people who want to see another year of a council tax frees me to vote very carefully on may the second. >> will be primacy give careful consideration to recommendations of environmental audience of committee's report on these other -- [inaudible] annually on monday of next week if this government backing that you can commission supposed moratorium on the use of -- [inaudible] >> i will attempt of what the honorable lady says. i am the life patron of the ek